IDCs are known and widely used for connecting to and/or terminating wires and cables, e.g., at male and female connectors. Despite their widespread use, it remains an objective to reduce crosstalk at the IDC/wire interface, e.g., at terminals utilizing IDCs. It is a further objective to provide electrical devices that utilize IDCs with a more rigid and regular IDC geometry, as well as facilitating the economical manufacture of IDCs and the electrical apparatus which utilize them. It is a further objective to provide effective insulation shielding for IDC contacts, such that wires and cables can be reliably terminated and used with the IDCs. These demands grow ever more rigorous as data speed and volume through connectors increases, while the overall dimensions of connectors remain constrained by a preference for small form factor and by considerations of backward compatibility.